There's more you can do for your breast-feeding partner than you might realize. Understand how to provide breast-feeding support.
By Mayo Clinic Staff

If your partner plans to breast-feed your new baby, you might have questions. What's your role? What can you do to help? Find out how to provide breast-feeding support.

You can start helping your partner prepare for breast-feeding by taking time to understand the possible benefits. Breast milk contains the right balance of nutrients for your baby and boosts your baby's immune system. It's considered the gold standard for infant nutrition.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breast-feeding for the first six months after birth — and breast-feeding in combination with solid foods until at least age 1. Extended breast-feeding is recommended as long as your partner and your baby wish to continue.

To learn more about the benefits of breast-feeding, attend breast-feeding classes with your partner. If you know the basics of the techniques involved, you might be better able to help your partner after birth. These classes can also help you understand the impact that the use of bottles, pacifiers and supplemental feedings can have on the breast-feeding process, and spur you and your partner to make decisions together about how you'll care for your baby.

To help your partner breast-feed:

Provide encouragement. Your attitude toward breast-feeding might influence your partner's decision to continue breast-feeding. Tell your partner that you support her decision to breast-feed. Remind her that you appreciate the effort involved.

Make her comfortable. When your partner is breast-feeding, offer her a pillow, a blanket, a drink of water or anything else she might like to have nearby.

Get involved in feedings. Carry the baby to your partner. Afterward, change the baby's diaper or help the baby go back to sleep.

Care for the baby. Offer to care for the baby, or other children at home, so your partner can nap between feedings.

Take on additional household responsibilities. Consider redividing your household tasks so that your partner has more time to rest.

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